Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to air cleaning and static neutralizing systems, and more particularly, to an ionizing bar mounted into an air nozzle manifold.
Conventional bottle or can-filling applications often utilize compressed air to clean the bottles or cans on the assembly line prior to filling. Similarly, it is often desirable to neutralize static electricity which builds up or is otherwise introduced in the bottles or cans during a filling operation. Discrete nozzles were therefore used to blow ionized compressed air into the bottles or cans to accomplish both tasks at once. However, these solutions are costly due to the use of compressed air and the cost for powering the electrical components of the discrete nozzles. Maintenance is also difficult to perform on the discrete nozzles.
Alternatives to compressed air nozzles, such as air manifolds having a series of nozzles, air knives, or the like, may be used to direct air received at an inlet from a blower. It is desirable to provide a cleaning and static neutralizing system that utilizes blown, rather than compressed, air, and which allows for the use of an efficient static neutralizing device that is simple to manage and service as part of the blown air system without compromising the desired effects of the blown air.